Be Cool

Over the weekend, I came across and interesting book — The Rules of Work: The Unspoken Truth About Getting Ahead in Business by Richard Templar.

Part 2 of The Rules of Work – Know That You’re Being Judged at All Times — makes a great point that applies directly to positive personal impact. People do pay attention to you – how you look, how you dress, how you carry yourself. The chapter titles tell you how Mr. Templar suggests you can make a positive personal impact.

Dress Well

Cultivate a Smile

Develop the Perfect Handshake

Exude Confidence and Energy

Develop a Style That Gets You Noticed

Pay Attention to Personal Grooming

Be Attractive

Be Cool

In one way or another, I’ve blogged about the first seven before, so I want to concentrate on the last one in this post – be cool. I don’t mean showing up for work in shades. I mean handling yourself in a manner that demonstrates that you are calm and collected.

Here’s an example – no matter how my day is going, when somebody asks me “how are you?” I always say “great”. First of all, even though they asked, nobody really wants to hear that my mother is ill, I am overloaded with work, my kids are driving me crazy and that I have a headache. They are asking a rhetorical question – and the best answer is “great”, or “I’m well, how are you”. Second, and probably more important, I want to give off the aura of someone who is in charge of his own life, someone who is capable and can get the job done.

So being cool, means that you present yourself to the world as someone who has things under control – someone who is confident in his or her own abilities. Someone who can handle problems or crises.

Here’s another example. Just prior to 9/11, Rudy Giuliani was ending his second term as Mayor of New York City. His reputation in the city in those days was not good. He had just gone on television to announce in a press conference that he was divorcing his wife – prior to discussing the divorce with her.

Then came that horrible day. Mr. Giuliani did a great job. He remained calm in the crisis. He reassured New Yorkers and the country. His popularity soared. Now, he is running for the Presidency – largely on his ability to stay cool and calm when things were falling apart all around him.

The common sense point for today – remain cool and calm; especially in crises. You’ll gain a reputation as someone who can be relied on when things get tough – and you’ll make a positive personal impact.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.